8-year-old scared by R-rated movie, sparks debate on parental control

A cinema received a complaint on Saturday because an 8-year-old was scared by some scenes of the movie Alien: Romulus. The film, R-rated in the US, has not been cut for its release in China, and warnings about its content for minors have been emphasized, as reported by Red Star News.

After the incident, large amounts of Chinese netizens flocked to the X-like social media platform Sina Weibo, plunging into the debate over whether children should be taken to watch horror movies in theaters. Several moviegoers said that the movie is definitely unsuitable for children and advised parents to be cautious in their choices as they are responsible for children's wellbeing.

Alien: Romulus was released simultaneously in China and North America on Friday. In the US, the movie is R-rated, meaning viewers under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The movie was released in China without any cuts, and the production company, 20th Century Studios, repeatedly reminded audiences on its official Sina Weibo account to "exercise caution for underage viewers," with the same cautionary message printed on the movie posters.

A popular movie blogger commented, "The movie is clearly marked 'caution for underage viewers' on its posters, yet some parents still brought their children to watch it. Don't these parents do their homework?"

According to Red Star News, several cinemas including Chengdu Pacific Cinema said that they had issued reminders at the ticket office and in cinema fan groups, advising minors to be cautious about watching the film.

As a well-known sci-fi horror film from Hollywood, the Alien series features the unstoppable alien creatures—Xenomorphs. Adult Xenomorphs stand 2 to 3 meters tall, with iron-like exoskeletons, highly corrosive acid blood, the ability to heal quickly after being injured, and even the capacity to survive in space.

After watching the film, some viewers said that the movie was indeed terrifying, particularly due to the sound effects.

A film critic said after seeing the movie, "I felt my heartbeat and senses heightened on the big screen in the cinema. Even though I was mentally prepared, there was one scene that still scared me so much that I felt like I was going to jump out of my seat." Some viewers also mentioned that certain scenes were repulsive, advising the faint-hearted to avoid the film.

In fact, this is not the first time a foreign film with an R-rated warning has been introduced in China. The US sci-fi film Annihilation, starring Natalie Portman, was released in Chinese mainland cinemas with an R-rated warning. The version shown in mainland theaters contained several violent and bloody scenes.

Hugh Jackman's Logan was also released with an R-rated notice in 2017 when imported to China.A total of eight Chinese films, including four animated films, will be screened at the upcoming Moscow International Film Week, which is scheduled to run from August 23 to 28 in Moscow.